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Hennepin Lake's Annual Tasting (Tons of Napa Cabs)
Minneapolis, MN
Tasted October 26, 2011 by 3daywinereview.com with 1,938 views
Introduction
Wow! $25 charity event and by far the best lineup in a long time in Minneapolis.
Wine of the Night:
2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove
2005 Bond Matriarch
2007 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Worst Wine
NV Barefoot Sweet Red
Not that I would normally try a wine like this but it cracked me up with so many good wines how many people flocked to the Barefoot table. Also had to try the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio which is the same every year a mid 70 point wine.
Flight 1 (69 notes)
Red
2010 Mollydooker Shiraz Velvet Glove
96 points
Wow! For a young wine this is drinking off the charts. Not decanted and the nose offers blackberry, pepper, cherry and violets. Over the night the wine evolved and became more interesting. I see this wine drinking well for a decade but is drinking well right now. Long and intense finish. A balanced wine and no heat. Should be a top ten wine for sure!
Red
2007 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
A super wine with spice, cherry, earth, mineral and oak. Everything is in place for a decade or more of fine drinking. Long finish and not too tannic. This wine improved over the course of the night and I would recommend a two plus hour decant.
Red
2005 BOND Matriarch
95 points
A huge wine that will only get better. Dark fruit, coffee, oak, vanilla and earth come together to create a complex wine with a long finish. It is showing firm tannic structure but there is a ton of offerings that will emerge over time. Should drink well for 15 plus years!
White
2009 Peter Michael Chardonnay Cuvée Indigene
94 points
Nice and big Chardonnay. Not for the Burg lover. Rich with oak, spice, floral and ripe fruit. Medium to long finish and complex.
Red
2009 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
91 points
A nice wine but over priced for the quality. Strawberry, floral, spice and earth. Medium finish and good acidity. I would buy this for $35 a bottle.
Red - Sweet/Dessert
N.V. Barefoot Cellars Sweet Red
70 points
Worst wine of the Year? At big tastings I always try the best wines with the exception of a few really massed produced, name brand plonk. This is sweet and I mean sugar sweet. No balance and no reason that anyone with a palate would ever buy this wine. This is contender for worst wine of the year!
White
2010 Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
75 points
Another wine I liketo try at big events to see how bad it is for the money. I can't believe people buy this for $20 a bottle. Same every vintage which is expensive mineral water. No nose and little on the palate.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut
89 points
Not as good as the bottle last year so I assume it is the new N.V. Dough, lemon and chalk come together on a light styled Champagne. Short to medium finish and an average effort for Bollinger.
White
2009 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Icon
86 points
Not as good as previous vintages. Tons of grapefruit and floral. A bit out of balance and the acidity is too prevelant. Medium finish.
Red
2007 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
Lots of potential with this wine. Very young and tannic. Oak, cherry, smoke, vanilla and berries. Medium to long finish and will need five years to show its true stuff. 90-94.
Red
2008 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
94 points
A gritty wine with fine sediment. Dark in color and a nose of dark currants, oak, earth and minerals. Medium finish and full bodied. This should develop into a super wine within ten years. Complex.
Red
2009 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard
90 points
Cranberry, floral and earth. Not as good as the 2008 at this point. Medium finish.
Red
2007 E. Guigal Gigondas
89 points
A good wine overall with spice, brush, Garrique, wood and coffee. Medium finish and drinking well now.
Red
2008 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera
92 points
A really nice wine and smooth. Floral, dust, light wood, raspberry and cherry. Very balanced wine and medium finish.
Red
2009 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
92 points
Pepper, spice, floral and earth. Young and will improve over time. Medium finish.
Red
2008 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon
89 points
Not really digging this wine with spice, floral, earth and dark fruit. Not balanced at this stage of the game so I would advise a five plus hour decant to see were it goes.
Red
2009 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard
84 points
Another vintage of this wine that I am not a fan of. Little balance and quite simple. Spice and light fruits on a short finishing wine.
Red
2008 Talbott Pinot Noir Kali Hart
85 points
Simple wine with spice, floral, roses and cherry. Medium finish.
Red
2009 Talbott Pinot Noir Logan Sleepy Hollow Vineyard
86 points
Not bad with spice, cranberry and subtle earth character. Short to medium finish.
Red
2007 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve
90 points
Spice, raspberry, oak and floral notes. Overall balanced but lacks concentration I would like to see from a $50 Pinot. Medium finish.
Red
2008 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvée
90 points
The best Yamhill I have tasted with strawberry, raspberry, spice and floral notes. Good concentration and medium finish. A balanced effort.
Red
2009 Capiaux Cellars Pinot Noir Chimera
88 points
Not a bad base bottling. Spice, floral, forest floor and minerals. Medium finish.
Red
2006 Vitanza Brunello di Montalcino
92 points
Drinking really well with raspberry, wood, earth and minerals. Balanced and good acidity. Drink now with a 2 hour decant or cellar for five years. I don't see this improving much beyond 5 years in the cellar.
Red
2009 Piattelli Vineyards Malbec Premium
89 points
Nice overall. I have never enjoyed this wine but this vintage is different. Raspberry, dust, cherry and spices. Good concentration and medium finish. Drink now.
Red
2004 Château Brane-Cantenac Le Baron de Brane
91 points
The surprise at the tasting with tobacco, spice, raspberry and minerals. Real balanced wine and plenty of flavors on the finish. Medium in length and drink now or cellar for a few years. Well done.
Red
2002 Josetta Saffirio Barolo
81 points
No matter how much the pourer tried to talk up this wine it wasn't working. Super light in color and flavor. Wood and mild spices. Almost watered down and really what you would expect from a super bad vintage.
Red
2005 Domini de la Cartoixa Priorat Clos Galena
93 points
Wonderful wine and sampled a few times and a different bottle which yielded similar results. Dark fruits, floral, wood and blueberries dance around the palate. Medium finish and concentrated. No heat and could be enjoyed now but I recommended 5 years in the cellar.
Red
2005 Château La Tour de Bessan
85 points
Dust, cherry and earth. A light Bordeaux for such a great vintage. Short to medium finish.
Red
2007 Féraud-Brunel Côtes du Rhône Villages
91 points
Probably the best Cotes du Rhone wine I have tasted. Intense with Garrique, spice, floral and smoke. Medium finish and concentrated. Drink now or enjoy over the next decade.
Red
2008 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
91 points
Another strong showing for this new vintage. Oak, spice, cherry and blueberries on the nose and palate. Still a bit tight but this should develop well over the next five years. A good value Napa wine. 91+
Red
2009 Cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
84 points
Over ripe and too much wood on this below average effort. Certainly not worth $24.99.
Red
2007 Ramey Diamond Mountain
92 points
This is a really nice Napa Valley Cab that should age for 10 years. On the nose dark fruits, spice, floral featuring rose petals. On the palate bing cherry, spice, floral, blackberries and earth. Still firm tannins and really needs a four hour decant. Medium to long finish.
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White
2008 Ramey Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard
91 points
Nice overall with lemon, grapefruit, minerals and floral notes. Medium finish and good use of oak.
Red
2007 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
91 points
A light closed down but does show cherry, spice and dust. Medium finish and needs to cellar for five plus years. Not nearly as approachable as the 2006. 91-94.
Red
2006 Rutherford Hill Merlot Napa Valley
83 points
A really boring wine with little character. Cherry and spice with a short finish.
Red
2008 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered
92 points
A lot going on with this one. Spice, cherry, oak, vanilla and blueberries combine together on this medium tannic and concentrated wine. Nice balanced effort that will improve with some time.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut
81 points
Better than their Pinot Grigio thank goodness. Light and simple with minerals and a twist of lemon.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial
92 points
Wonderful showing with sour apples, candied fruits, dough, lemon and minerals. Full of flavor and intense finish. Wonderful value! Certainly not the new N.V. which I gave 78 recently.
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Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé
91 points
Nice with strawberry, minerals, rose petals and raspberries. Medium finish and good acidity.
Red
2008 Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve
89 points
Nice wine with wood, cherry, vanilla and coffee beans. Medium finish and should improve with age. 89-91.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Red
2007 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
Not rated as it was not decanted and very tight. Cherry, oak, spice and firm tannins. Medium finish but really not a wine to pop and pour. We shall see over time what this turns into to. Interesting as I had this wine last year and loved it so it is a dumb phase for sure...
Red
2007 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
This was a top 3 wine at the Hennepin Lake Tasting. Beautiful right now with spice, cherry, minerals, oak, blueberries and earth. The wine is extremely balanced and the tannins are well integrated for such a young wine. This should improve a bit with cellaring. 94-96.
White
2008 Grgich Hills Chardonnay
87 points
Nothing too exciting here. Chalk, minerals, apple and pear. Clean finish. Average Cali Chardonnay in my opinion.
Red
2007 The Hess Collection 19 Block Cuvée Mt. Veeder
88 points
A mix of 5 reds creating an interesting wine featuring spice, cherry, blackberries and earth. A crowd pleaser wine.
Red
2008 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Allomi
88 points
Nice overall with cherry, spices, coffee and oak. Medium finish.
Red
2005 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva Finca Ygay
87 points
OK but not as good as the Muga Reserva. Coffee, cherry, floral and earth. Not too balanced overall as the palate and nose differ. I like the nose on this wine a lot more than the palate which seems too much on the earth side of things. Medium finish and lacks a bit of acidity.
Red
2008 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Cloud's Nest Vineyard
92 points
Another good vintage for this wine wiht cherry, figs, spice, and forest floor. Nice earth components and solid overall. Cellar for five years and enjoy.
Red
2008 Treana Red
87 points
Not my style of wine. Over ripe fruit, too much spice and really smokey. Medium finish and not the most balanced wine.
Red
2008 David Bruce Pinot Noir Estate
88 points
Not bad juice with strawberry, cranberry, spice and floral notes. Good acidity and a nice value Pinot.
Red
2007 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon
87 points
Good overall with a little funk, oak, cherry and earth. Short to medium finish but not real concentrated. I like their Merlot better almost every vintage.
Red
2008 Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red
89 points
Certainly the best value wine I tasted with spice, cherry, blueberries and sweet fruit on the palate. Medium finish and just an easy drinking wine.
Red
2007 Two Angels Petite Sirah Shannon Ridge
90 points
Nice wine wtih dust, floral, cherry and spices. Not a fruit bomb and balance overall. Medium finish. Drink now.
Red
2006 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino
91 points
A little young but shows promise with spice, forest floor, raspberry and earth. Medium finish. This should improve with some age.
White
2010 Goats do Roam Wine Company Goats do Roam White
85 points
Simple but good with apricots and minerals. Short finish and a good party wine.
White
2010 Famille Perrin / Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône Blanc Réserve
85 points
Light wine with honey suckles and minerals. Short finish.
White
2010 Domaine Pichot Vouvray Domaine Le Peu de la Moriette
87 points
Sweet with floral, lemon and minerals. A crowd pleaser.
White
2009 William Fèvre Chablis Champs Royaux
88 points
Always good with spice, minerals and apples. Medium finish and good acid profile.
White
2009 Miner Family Chardonnay Napa Valley
85 points
Average Chardonnay and over priced. Oak and some more oak along with vanilla and some fruit. Time for a new style here.
Red
2007 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Landslide Alexander Valley
89 points
Better than previous vintages with cherry, rapsberry, spice and a good use of oak. Could improve over time.
Red
2007 Goldschmidt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Game Ranch Vineyard
92 points
Very nice wine and second time sampling it. Cherry, spice, blueberries and firm tannins. Medium finish and cellar for five years.
Red
2006 Goldschmidt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard Selection Vyborny Vineyard
91 points
Nice wine with oak, vanilla, spice, floral and dark fruits. Structured wine and needs time in the cellar.
Red
2008 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
92 points
This wine is on a role with a few good vintages in a row. Spice, cherry, tobacco and earth. Oak is present but adds to the overall experience.
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Red
2007 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
90 points
Solid effort with cherry, plum, spice and minerals. Lacks the complexity of the better Cabs at this tasting.
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Red
2008 Frog's Leap Zinfandel
80 points
Never have been a fan of Frog's Leap and this is no different. Sweet, oak and not balanced.
Red
2008 Mazzocco Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
89 points
Nice wine with cranberry, dust, spices and oak. Not a fruit bomb and balanced.
Red
2009 Department 66 D66
87 points
Not my style but drinkable with cherry, blackberries, spice and oak. This has some sweetness on the palate. Medium but hot finish. Needs some time to develop.
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Red
2009 Orin Swift Saldo
89 points
Cherry, blackberries, spice and dust on the nose. The palate has nice earth character and an interesting, medium finish. Not bad.
Red
2008 Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles
91 points
The best Isosceles I have ever tasted with spice, minerals, dark fruits and oak. Complex, medium finish. Could improve with time. 91-93
Red
2008 Buehler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
90 points
The best Buehler Estate I have tasted. I am digging almost any Cab from 2008 right now. Earth, spice, cassis and minerals. Balanced and amazing for the money. Buy!
Closing
It is a shame other wine events in town don't try and pour better wine but that is why we have offlines.